“A Study. Maurice Greiffenhagen, RWS (1862-1931). Oil on canvas, 11 x 14 inches. Provenance: R J Wardley. ExhibitedL Society of Painters in Oil Colours, 1884, no. 359. Source: The Maas Gallery. Click on image to enlarge it
Maas Gallery Commentary
Greiffenhagen’s early work was wonderfully delicate; this is one of his earliest, done when he was using the square brush technique of Bastien Lepage, with a nod to Japanese prints of the Ukiyo-e, ‘Floating World’ school. The painting could have been done at Grez-sur-Loing, so ‘Barbizon’ does it appear (like several others of his of around this date). Later, Greiffenhagen began to paint Rossettian subjects with a heavier touch in rich Venetian colour, particularly his famous picture called An Idyll of 1891 (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool) that D H Lawrence became obsessed with and inspired his first novel, The White Peackock. He also illustrated many books, notably Rider Haggard’s She. . — George P. Landow
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Last modified 9 October 2021